So hungry after workouts!
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PeacefulBalance
Posts: 473 Member
I’m curious if anyone else experiences extreme hunger after workouts. I always have complex carbs and protein after a workout just to refuel - and sometimes a healthier fat (some almonds or walnuts). However, nothing seems to satisfy me and I’m still SO hungry! Anyone else experience this? Sometimes I act on my hunger and other times I really try to distract myself because I don’t need those excess calories.
My workouts tend to be more HIIT style training (I vary them up with yoga, Pilates, strength, walking, etc) and I’ve read that HIIT can lead to extreme hunger.
Please help if anyone has any tips! Thank you in advance!
My workouts tend to be more HIIT style training (I vary them up with yoga, Pilates, strength, walking, etc) and I’ve read that HIIT can lead to extreme hunger.
Please help if anyone has any tips! Thank you in advance!
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Replies
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How spaced out are you meals? When's the last time you eat before you workout? How many calories are you eating a day?PeacefulBalance wrote: »I’m curious if anyone else experiences extreme hunger after workouts. I always have complex carbs and protein after a workout just to refuel - and sometimes a healthier fat (some almonds or walnuts). However, nothing seems to satisfy me and I’m still SO hungry! Anyone else experience this? Sometimes I act on my hunger and other times I really try to distract myself because I don’t need those excess calories.
My workouts tend to be more HIIT style training (I vary them up with yoga, Pilates, strength, walking, etc) and I’ve read that HIIT can lead to extreme hunger.
Please help if anyone has any tips! Thank you in advance!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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What do you eat before? I used to go flying out of the gym to the nearest fast food burger I could get and scarf it down.
The way to fix this is before your workout. Once you’ve crashed it’s hard to regain control. And consider this- a high level of fitness coupled with weight loss works on very tight margins. And the less you have to lose the tighter those margins are. The losses can be very slow. But the most important thing is to control the process. The best plan is the one we can actually stick with.2 -
How spaced out are you meals? When's the last time you eat before you workout? How many calories are you eating a day?PeacefulBalance wrote: »I’m curious if anyone else experiences extreme hunger after workouts. I always have complex carbs and protein after a workout just to refuel - and sometimes a healthier fat (some almonds or walnuts). However, nothing seems to satisfy me and I’m still SO hungry! Anyone else experience this? Sometimes I act on my hunger and other times I really try to distract myself because I don’t need those excess calories.
My workouts tend to be more HIIT style training (I vary them up with yoga, Pilates, strength, walking, etc) and I’ve read that HIIT can lead to extreme hunger.
Please help if anyone has any tips! Thank you in advance!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Thanks for your reply! I usually workout ~45 minutes after eating lunch, sometimes an hour after and I try to get about an hour workout in. I tend to eat breakfast, maybe a morning snack (depends on if I eat a late breakfast), lunch, workout with a snack afterwards and then about 3-3.5 hours later I have dinner. I don’t track calories too much, but rather focus on the balance of my meals (1/2 plate non-starchy veg, 1/4 plate protein, and 1/4 plate starch/carb). Maybe I’ll try tracking to see if I’m under. I don’t feel like I am. If I were to ballpark it I’d say I’m around 1600-1700 each day.0 -
What do you eat before? I used to go flying out of the gym to the nearest fast food burger I could get and scarf it down.
The way to fix this is before your workout. Once you’ve crashed it’s hard to regain control. And consider this- a high level of fitness coupled with weight loss works on very tight margins. And the less you have to lose the tighter those margins are. The losses can be very slow. But the most important thing is to control the process. The best plan is the one we can actually stick with.
Thank you for your reply! I usually eat lunch anywhere from 45 min to 1 hr before my workout. Typically it’s a heavy veggie meal with ~ 12-18g protein, a healthy fat and complex carbs. If I workout before the 45 minute mark after lunch I notice i don’t do as well during the workouts or start to cramp in the stomach. I then have a snack within 20ish-30 minutes after the workout.0 -
Have you thought about having your snack before you workout and then having lunch afterwards?1
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39flavours wrote: »Have you thought about having your snack before you workout and then having lunch afterwards?
Oh! That is definitely an idea to try! Thank you! Hahaha something so simple that my brain clearly overlooked 😶2 -
I'm always hungry after a workout, so I schedule my workout where I can have a meal immediately following...aka right before lunch, or right before dinner. If I had to wait hours after a workout before I got to eat something substantial...yeah, I'd probably be in the same boat as you experienced, lol.0
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I'm always hungry after a workout, so I schedule my workout where I can have a meal immediately following...aka right before lunch, or right before dinner. If I had to wait hours after a workout before I got to eat something substantial...yeah, I'd probably be in the same boat as you experienced, lol.
Thank you! Maybe I just need to switch my schedule around then! Lol I’m usually hungry for lunch by like 11:15 so it just this conundrum I’m gonna have to figure out 🤣0 -
PeacefulBalance wrote: »What do you eat before? I used to go flying out of the gym to the nearest fast food burger I could get and scarf it down.
The way to fix this is before your workout. Once you’ve crashed it’s hard to regain control. And consider this- a high level of fitness coupled with weight loss works on very tight margins. And the less you have to lose the tighter those margins are. The losses can be very slow. But the most important thing is to control the process. The best plan is the one we can actually stick with.
Thank you for your reply! I usually eat lunch anywhere from 45 min to 1 hr before my workout. Typically it’s a heavy veggie meal with ~ 12-18g protein, a healthy fat and complex carbs. If I workout before the 45 minute mark after lunch I notice i don’t do as well during the workouts or start to cramp in the stomach. I then have a snack within 20ish-30 minutes after the workout.
That's . . . not very much protein, IMO, and I'm saying that as a vegetarian who is active but not all that big (5'5", 125ish pounds). I didn't see where you indicate your size: Apologies if I missed it.
How much protein are you getting overall? I'm a believer in 0.6-0.8g protein per pound of healthy body weight (reasonably equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of lean body mass, for most people). It's not universally magical, but many people find protein foods filling, and getting enough (overall) is a very desirable component of an athletically active life. For myself, I mostly wouldn't like to be eating a meal without getting around 25g or so of protein, and shoot for a minimum of 100g daily, usually exceed it (but I'm in maintenance, eating 1850 calories plus exercise most days - it was slightly less TBH when I was losing weight, usually 90g-ish +/-).
Have you been at this routine to know whether and how fast you're losing weight, averaged over several weeks (at least one full menstrual cycle)? That's the best indication IMO of whether you're undereating for your needs.2 -
PeacefulBalance wrote: »What do you eat before? I used to go flying out of the gym to the nearest fast food burger I could get and scarf it down.
The way to fix this is before your workout. Once you’ve crashed it’s hard to regain control. And consider this- a high level of fitness coupled with weight loss works on very tight margins. And the less you have to lose the tighter those margins are. The losses can be very slow. But the most important thing is to control the process. The best plan is the one we can actually stick with.
Thank you for your reply! I usually eat lunch anywhere from 45 min to 1 hr before my workout. Typically it’s a heavy veggie meal with ~ 12-18g protein, a healthy fat and complex carbs. If I workout before the 45 minute mark after lunch I notice i don’t do as well during the workouts or start to cramp in the stomach. I then have a snack within 20ish-30 minutes after the workout.
That's . . . not very much protein, IMO, and I'm saying that as a vegetarian who is active but not all that big (5'5", 125ish pounds). I didn't see where you indicate your size: Apologies if I missed it.
How much protein are you getting overall? I'm a believer in 0.6-0.8g protein per pound of healthy body weight (reasonably equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of lean body mass, for most people). It's not universally magical, but many people find protein foods filling, and getting enough (overall) is a very desirable component of an athletically active life. For myself, I mostly wouldn't like to be eating a meal without getting around 25g or so of protein, and shoot for a minimum of 100g daily, usually exceed it (but I'm in maintenance, eating 1850 calories plus exercise most days - it was slightly less TBH when I was losing weight, usually 90g-ish +/-).
Have you been at this routine to know whether and how fast you're losing weight, averaged over several weeks (at least one full menstrual cycle)? That's the best indication IMO of whether you're undereating for your needs.
Thanks for all of your insight, I appreciate it! And I get more protein throughout the day, my lunch tends to be on the lower of my other meals, and then I get in more with my snacks too! And right now I’m about 107 and 5’6. I’m working at just maintaining it and not losing.
The other x-factor is that I finished nursing my 17 month old in September and so I still haven’t gotten my menstrual cycle back yet but I’m thinking that’ll show up in November. I can definitely try upping my protein more at lunch - I’ve been playing around with spacing out my protein through various foods to save on groceries (lame, I know). I’ll play around with it even more and add extra to my lunch. Thank you again! 1 -
107 at 5'6" is very small and you're not getting many calories overall. I'd be hungry too! Maybe you just need to bump total calories. I'd be surprised if you're not losing weight eating only 1700/day. You should consider tracking calories and weight for a month and see exactly where you are.5
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DancingMoosie wrote: »107 at 5'6" is very small and you're not getting many calories overall. I'd be hungry too! Maybe you just need to bump total calories. I'd be surprised if you're not losing weight eating only 1700/day. You should consider tracking calories and weight for a month and see exactly where you are.
Thank you! I’ll definitely continue tracking my cals and weight and figure that out more before playing around. My body naturally just settled around 107 for the last 5ish years and in between pregnancies and after breastfeeding. It’s just been lately (since the beginning of October) that the hunger gets so extreme after working out. I’m wondering if maybe this is also a lovely hormone thing 🤣. I will definitely take your advice and implement it!0 -
PeacefulBalance wrote: »PeacefulBalance wrote: »What do you eat before? I used to go flying out of the gym to the nearest fast food burger I could get and scarf it down.
The way to fix this is before your workout. Once you’ve crashed it’s hard to regain control. And consider this- a high level of fitness coupled with weight loss works on very tight margins. And the less you have to lose the tighter those margins are. The losses can be very slow. But the most important thing is to control the process. The best plan is the one we can actually stick with.
Thank you for your reply! I usually eat lunch anywhere from 45 min to 1 hr before my workout. Typically it’s a heavy veggie meal with ~ 12-18g protein, a healthy fat and complex carbs. If I workout before the 45 minute mark after lunch I notice i don’t do as well during the workouts or start to cramp in the stomach. I then have a snack within 20ish-30 minutes after the workout.
That's . . . not very much protein, IMO, and I'm saying that as a vegetarian who is active but not all that big (5'5", 125ish pounds). I didn't see where you indicate your size: Apologies if I missed it.
How much protein are you getting overall? I'm a believer in 0.6-0.8g protein per pound of healthy body weight (reasonably equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of lean body mass, for most people). It's not universally magical, but many people find protein foods filling, and getting enough (overall) is a very desirable component of an athletically active life. For myself, I mostly wouldn't like to be eating a meal without getting around 25g or so of protein, and shoot for a minimum of 100g daily, usually exceed it (but I'm in maintenance, eating 1850 calories plus exercise most days - it was slightly less TBH when I was losing weight, usually 90g-ish +/-).
Have you been at this routine to know whether and how fast you're losing weight, averaged over several weeks (at least one full menstrual cycle)? That's the best indication IMO of whether you're undereating for your needs.
Thanks for all of your insight, I appreciate it! And I get more protein throughout the day, my lunch tends to be on the lower of my other meals, and then I get in more with my snacks too! And right now I’m about 107 and 5’6. I’m working at just maintaining it and not losing.
The other x-factor is that I finished nursing my 17 month old in September and so I still haven’t gotten my menstrual cycle back yet but I’m thinking that’ll show up in November. I can definitely try upping my protein more at lunch - I’ve been playing around with spacing out my protein through various foods to save on groceries (lame, I know). I’ll play around with it even more and add extra to my lunch. Thank you again!
At that size, you definitely don't want to be losing weight, at BMI 17.3! (Body type matters, but technically, that's underweight.)
I understand about protein and economizing, but some sources can be quite affordable (legumes, for example). There's a great thread here about protein sources, might help you to identify some more you like but haven't thought of, that are affordable where you are:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also
This is a good evidence-based source for protein needs information for various kinds of goals and demographics:
https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/
https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/
They're generally seen as neutral (for example, they don't sell supplements - they sell research summaries & recommendations, but offer some for free, like the ones I linked).
Different people do seem to find different exercise modes more appetite-provoking, and higher intensity is one factor sometimes cited. (Me, I'm more likely to be crave-y when doing more strength training - but it seems to be pretty individual, what triggers appetite.)
Best wishes!4 -
PeacefulBalance wrote: »PeacefulBalance wrote: »What do you eat before? I used to go flying out of the gym to the nearest fast food burger I could get and scarf it down.
The way to fix this is before your workout. Once you’ve crashed it’s hard to regain control. And consider this- a high level of fitness coupled with weight loss works on very tight margins. And the less you have to lose the tighter those margins are. The losses can be very slow. But the most important thing is to control the process. The best plan is the one we can actually stick with.
Thank you for your reply! I usually eat lunch anywhere from 45 min to 1 hr before my workout. Typically it’s a heavy veggie meal with ~ 12-18g protein, a healthy fat and complex carbs. If I workout before the 45 minute mark after lunch I notice i don’t do as well during the workouts or start to cramp in the stomach. I then have a snack within 20ish-30 minutes after the workout.
That's . . . not very much protein, IMO, and I'm saying that as a vegetarian who is active but not all that big (5'5", 125ish pounds). I didn't see where you indicate your size: Apologies if I missed it.
How much protein are you getting overall? I'm a believer in 0.6-0.8g protein per pound of healthy body weight (reasonably equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of lean body mass, for most people). It's not universally magical, but many people find protein foods filling, and getting enough (overall) is a very desirable component of an athletically active life. For myself, I mostly wouldn't like to be eating a meal without getting around 25g or so of protein, and shoot for a minimum of 100g daily, usually exceed it (but I'm in maintenance, eating 1850 calories plus exercise most days - it was slightly less TBH when I was losing weight, usually 90g-ish +/-).
Have you been at this routine to know whether and how fast you're losing weight, averaged over several weeks (at least one full menstrual cycle)? That's the best indication IMO of whether you're undereating for your needs.
Thanks for all of your insight, I appreciate it! And I get more protein throughout the day, my lunch tends to be on the lower of my other meals, and then I get in more with my snacks too! And right now I’m about 107 and 5’6. I’m working at just maintaining it and not losing.
The other x-factor is that I finished nursing my 17 month old in September and so I still haven’t gotten my menstrual cycle back yet but I’m thinking that’ll show up in November. I can definitely try upping my protein more at lunch - I’ve been playing around with spacing out my protein through various foods to save on groceries (lame, I know). I’ll play around with it even more and add extra to my lunch. Thank you again!
At that size, you definitely don't want to be losing weight, at BMI 17.3! (Body type matters, but technically, that's underweight.)
I understand about protein and economizing, but some sources can be quite affordable (legumes, for example). There's a great thread here about protein sources, might help you to identify some more you like but haven't thought of, that are affordable where you are:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also
This is a good evidence-based source for protein needs information for various kinds of goals and demographics:
https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/
https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/
They're generally seen as neutral (for example, they don't sell supplements - they sell research summaries & recommendations, but offer some for free, like the ones I linked).
Different people do seem to find different exercise modes more appetite-provoking, and higher intensity is one factor sometimes cited. (Me, I'm more likely to be crave-y when doing more strength training - but it seems to be pretty individual, what triggers appetite.)
Best wishes!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you taking the time to write all of that as well as provide resources!
And you’re totally right with the various sources and legumes - I recently bought some and they’re sitting in the cupboard waiting 🤣. I definitely can get into a protein rut so I appreciate that! I think there’s some mental blocks as well so I’ll work on that along with the protein increase.
Thank you for the protein needs calculators as well! And that definitely makes sense on various exercises triggering higher appetite and I do remember reading HIIT has that potential.
I’ll increase my protein needs for sure for my lunch and I’ll see if that makes the difference and if not I’ll play around with some things. Thank you again, truly!! ❤️❤️1 -
OP you are borderline underweight, pretty active and your period hasn’t returned after stopping breastfeeding. I would get yourself checked out by a doctor and eat more! 17.3 bmi is low. I’m not surprised you are feeling hungry. Hunger is your body’s natural signal to eat more. The priority has to be getting your period back and that will likely happen with weight gain.7
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I swim, and avoid eating for a good 2+ hours beforehand, so I'm generally very hungry and thirsty when I finish.
First I drink a 32 oz bottle of water.that helps immediately because sometimes I can mistake thirst for hunger.
Then, I keep peanut butter stuffed pretzel bites in my car for the drive home. For me, the bit of carb, bit of protein, bit of salt is a good balance for a post workout nibble.
A serving is 15 (150 cal), so I start with 5, and sometimes that's all I need. Sometimes I have another 5 halfway home, and on rare occasions, I'll eat all 15.2 -
cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »OP you are borderline underweight, pretty active and your period hasn’t returned after stopping breastfeeding. I would get yourself checked out by a doctor and eat more! 17.3 bmi is low. I’m not surprised you are feeling hungry. Hunger is your body’s natural signal to eat more. The priority has to be getting your period back and that will likely happen with weight gain.
Thanks for your reply! That definitely could be the case with everything! I know things change as we age and also things can change a lot after pregnancies so maybe my maintenance weight has as well. It took me a good 2-2.5 months for my period to return after breastfeeding my first kiddo so I automatically assumed that would be a similar situation this time around too. If It doesn’t return by beginning of December I’ll definitely go in! I’ll try increasing my intake overall and see what that does as well. Thanks again!2 -
rosebarnalice wrote: »I swim, and avoid eating for a good 2+ hours beforehand, so I'm generally very hungry and thirsty when I finish.
First I drink a 32 oz bottle of water.that helps immediately because sometimes I can mistake thirst for hunger.
Then, I keep peanut butter stuffed pretzel bites in my car for the drive home. For me, the bit of carb, bit of protein, bit of salt is a good balance for a post workout nibble.
A serving is 15 (150 cal), so I start with 5, and sometimes that's all I need. Sometimes I have another 5 halfway home, and on rare occasions, I'll eat all 15.
Thank you for your insight! I appreciate it! I’ll also try upping my water to see if that’s instigating anything! And yum to the peanut butter stuffed pretzels! Haha I’ve totally done that one after a workout as well! Thank you again!! 0 -
I feel you. For me, I realized 2 things, I was “emotionally” hungry. So, I had to re learn what is real hunger and what is not. 2nd, water does the trick. Sometimes I feel “hungry” and after a glass of water the “hunger” goes away.1
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Eltriste73 wrote: »I feel you. For me, I realized 2 things, I was “emotionally” hungry. So, I had to re learn what is real hunger and what is not. 2nd, water does the trick. Sometimes I feel “hungry” and after a glass of water the “hunger” goes away.
Oh great insight! Thank you! I could totally see it being both of those for me as well. Sometimes when I’m all hyped up from a workout I become impulsive and can mistake how hungry I actually am 🤣 I need to slow down and take a breath first haha0
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